OK, where did the term P-U originate to describe stink?

KitchenWitch

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Tue Dec-13-05 02:22 AM
Original message

OK, where did the term P-U originate to describe stink?

I have always wondered.

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SmileyBoy

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Tue Dec-13-05 02:27 AM
Response to Original message

1. Cause it sounds like "poo" when you say it phonetically??

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KitchenWitch

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Tue Dec-13-05 02:29 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. could be!

It was your post that inspired this one!

:hi:

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pokerfan

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Tue Dec-13-05 02:40 AM
Response to Reply #1

7. Jesse's Word of the Day

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/20/messages/310.html

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KitchenWitch

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Tue Dec-13-05 02:42 AM
Response to Reply #7

8. That is so cool!

:hi:

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auntAgonist

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Tue Dec-13-05 02:30 AM
Response to Original message

3. it's from

putere "to stink," pu- to rot

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KitchenWitch

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Tue Dec-13-05 02:31 AM
Response to Reply #3

5. cool

I knew there was an academic answer to that one...

:hi:

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Kurovski

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Tue Dec-13-05 05:25 AM
Response to Reply #5

13. It looks like they've got it correct here.

Edited on Tue Dec-13-05 05:39 AM by Kurovski

Here is some additional info I found...

"P.U.
Here are the two explanations I heard the most:

1) It's a shortened term for puteo, which is Latin for "to stink, be redolent, or smell bad." I actually called a professor of Latin at the University of Florida to verify this one.

2) It's actually spelled "pew," but is often pronounced as "pee-yew". It's root is the Indo-European word "pu," meaning to rot or decay. A lot of other languages use this root word and have the same general meaning."

Remember the horny little skunk, "Pepe Le PEW"?

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Crazy Guggenheim

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Tue Dec-13-05 02:31 AM
Response to Original message

4. It might mean "putrid".

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Oeditpus Rex

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Tue Dec-13-05 02:34 AM
Response to Original message

6. 'PU' is an abbreviation for 'pass urine'

http://www.acronymfinder.com

Could be derived from that.

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XemaSab

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Tue Dec-13-05 03:08 AM
Response to Original message

9. Les grenoilles

est tres feu.

Or something.

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RevCheesehead

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Tue Dec-13-05 03:23 AM
Response to Original message

10. My guess would be it came from GD.

It gets nasty in there.

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KitchenWitch

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Tue Dec-13-05 03:40 AM
Response to Reply #10

12. LOL

right on sistah!

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obxhead

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Tue Dec-13-05 03:39 AM
Response to Original message

11. Maybe "phew"

phew phonetically fee-u.......

Never-mind I have no idea....

(great location for a smiley running away from a horrible odor...)

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